Certificate Course in Methods and Applications in Social Science Research (CCMASS)

The Certificate Course in
Methods and Applications in Social Science Research (CCMASSR) is an
interdisciplinary social science research approach, being offered by ISEC.
This course is partly supported by the SRTT fund of ISEC with a financial
assistance as a part of the capacity-building programme and the remaining
financial requirement is arranged by charging a nominal fee to the
participants. This year, 17 participants took part in the course, conducted
during October 26 to November 6, 2015. The participants are from different
regions in India and belonged to different disciplines such as economics,
political science, sociology, public policy, law, development management,
and gender and development. The course is taught by competent resource
persons from both within the institute and outside, like Indian Institute of
Science, Pondicherry University, National Law School of India University
etc. The training classes included topics on various approaches to social
science research, both qualitative and quantitative methods, hands-on
experience of SPSS and STATA software and also training on handling large
scale NSSO Unit level data using SPSS and STATA. Professor K S James, Acting
Director, ISEC, inaugurated the training programme. Prof Rajan Gurukkal from
Indian Institute of Science delivered the valedictory address. The course
was coordinated by Dr Indrajit Bairagya, Assistant Professor, Centre for
Human Resource Development, ISEC.

Training Programme on Micro and Macro Economic Theory

A five-day training programme
on ‘Micro and Macro Economic Theory’ was organised by the Centre for
Economic Studies and Policy (CESP) from October 12 to 16, 2015 at ISEC for
in-service ISS (Indian Statistical / Economic Service) officers and other
officers from States/UTs. The programme was sponsored by the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation via the National Statistical Systems
Training Academy (NSSTA), Delhi. The programme was inaugurated by the Acting
Director of ISEC, Prof K S James, who also delivered the welcome address.
Prof Meenakshi Rajeev explained the learning outcome expected from the
course.

Training Programme on Strategies for Effective Implementation of Housing for
All in India

Training Programme on
‘Strategies for Effective Implementation of Housing for All’ was jointly
organized by Institute for Social Economic Change, Bengaluru, and Human
Settlement Management Institute (HSMI), Housing and Urban Development
Corporation (HUDCO), New Delhi, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of
India, during September 28-30, 2015. The programme was inaugurated by Dr A
Ravindra, Chairman, Board of Governors, ISEC, and Prof K S James, Acting
Director, delivered the inaugural address.The training programme aimed at
orienting the officials of various municipal corporations or Urban Local
Bodies (ULBs) in India on the coveted Government of India programme viz.,
‘Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana (PMAY) -- Housing for All’. The resource
persons, drawn from both ISEC and other institutions, mainly covered the
issues like rehabilitation of slum dwellers with participation of private
developers using land as a resource, promotion of affordable housing for
weaker sections through credit-linked subsidy, affordable housing in
partnership with public and private sectors, subsidy for beneficiaryled
individual house construction.

The programme was coordinated
by Dr Krishna Raj, Associate Professor and Head of Centre for Economic
Studies and Policy, Dr Ravishankar, DGM, Bangalore HUDCO Regional Office,
and Ms Nila Pandian, HSMI, New Delhi.

Social Science Talent Search
Scheme (SSTSS) has been an on-going programme of ISEC since January 2011.
Under the scheme, Bangalore University and Christ University sponsor
scholarships for meritorious students and Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) lends
financial support. The scheme aims to address the dwindling interest among
students in social science subjects in degree courses. SSTS Scheme
encourages Plus Two level students to take a competitive exam and the top 35
students (25 from Bangalore University and 10 from Christ University)
qualify for orientation sessions on ‘Social Science Scope and Relevance’ as
well as scholarships during their three-year degree course.

The half-yearly scholarship
distribution ceremony was organised at ISEC during August 29-30, 2015. The
Chairperson of Board of Governors of ISEC, Dr A Ravindra; Acting Director of
ISEC Prof K S James, Registrar of Bangalore University Prof K K Seethamma;
Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Policy (CESP), ISEC, Prof S
Madheswaran; faculty from Christ Junior College and other dignitaries
participated in distributing the scholarships and addressed the students.
The SSTSS is coordinated by Dr M Lingaraju, of Centre for Human Resource
Development, ISEC.

Two-Week Capacity Building Programme for Social Science Faculty on Research
Methodology in Women Studies

A two-week capacity-building
programme for social science faculty on ‘Research Methodology in Women
Studies’ was organised from August 1 to 14, 2015 by the Centre for Women’s
and Gender Studies, ISEC, Bangalore. The then Chairman of ISEC Board of
Governors, Prof G Thimmaiah, inaugurated the programme and the then Director
in Charge, Prof M R Narayana, addressed the gathering.The residential
programme, sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi, consisted of 46 sessions in all.
Totally 26 faculty members belonging to disciplines like economics,
political science, sociology, anthropology, history and management and
coming from different parts of Karnataka participated in the programme.

International Training Workshop on Demographic Computation Series -2:
Multistate Population Projection in Excel and R

An eight-day International
Training Workshop on ‘Demographic Computation Series-2: Multistate
Population Projection in Excel and R’ was organised by PRC, ISEC, during
November 24-December 2, 2014. This was a collaborative workshop between
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria and
Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), New
Delhi. The purpose of the workshop was to enhance the demographic
computation skills among the PhD scholars and young researchers working in
the area of population studies. Around 20 participants were selected for the
workshop. The training workshop included both theoretical and practical
sessions. Dr Samir K C, Mr Erich Striessnig of the World Population Program
at IIASA and Prof. K S James, Professor, PRC, ISEC, coordinated the
workshop. Certificates were distributed to all the participants.

Orientation and Scholarship Distribution Programme for SSTSS Students

As part of this initiative and
in continuation of the earlier such presentations, half-yearly scholarship
distribution ceremony was organized at ISEC during August 23-24, 2014. The
then Director of ISEC, Prof. Binay Kumar Pattnaik; the Registrar of
Bangalore University, Prof. K K Seethamma; former Director of ISEC, Prof. R
S Deshpande; Dr Kanishka K and Dr Xavier Lovis D’Souza of Christ Junior
College and other dignitaries like Prof. Soddananda, addressed the students
and distributed the scholarships. Member of the advisory committee,
Controller of Examinations and Co-cordinator of SSTSS, Prof. H K Moulesh;
resource person Prof P H Rayappa and others were also present. Nodal
officers from the colleges, parents of the students, visiting professors,
faculty and members of ISEC were among those who attended event. The SSTSS
programme is coordinated by Dr. M Lingaraju of the Centre for Human Resource
Development, ISEC.

Training Programme for Members of Zilla Panchayats in Karnataka

A two-day training programme
was organized at ISEC for SC/ST members of Zilla Panchayats of Karnataka
during August 20-21, 2014. The topics covered include the need for
decentralization, leadership qualities, governance, roles and
responsibilities, management of finances, planning and implementation of
programmes/schemes. Participants have informed that they were able to
understand issues relating to development and empowerment, and the need for
active individual participation in various meetings and platforms. They felt
that training should be organized soon after the elections, and on
continuous basis. This programme was coordinated by Prof. D Rajasekhar and
Dr. M Devendra Babu from the Centre for Decentralisation and Development.

Training Programme for ISS Probationary Officers

A two-week training programme
in Applied Econometrics for the ISS probationers was organised by the Centre
for Economic Studies and Policy (CESP) of ISEC during August 4-14, 2014 at
the Institute. The programme was sponsored by the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation through National Statistical Systems Training
Academy, Delhi. It was inaugurated by the then Director of ISEC, Prof B K
Pattnaik, who also delivered the welcome address. Prof S Madheswaran
addressed the gathering and talked about the role of Applied Econometrics in
policy making.

A number of well-known
econometricians from various parts of India attended the programme. The
Valedictory address was delivered by Prof. Nityananda Sarkar of Indian
Statistical Institute, Kolkata. The training programme was organised by Ms B
P Vani and Prof. Meenakshi Rajeev, CESP, ISEC.

ISEC-NCI International Post-Graduate Course on ‘Approaching the Environment
in India – Issues and Methods in the Study of the Nature-Economy-Society
Interface’

The Centre for Ecological
Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR) and the Centre for Research in Urban
Affairs (CRUA) of ISEC in association with the Nordic Centre in India (NCI),
Sweden, organised a four-week inter-disciplinary course on ‘Approaching the
Environment in India: New Theories and Methods in the Study of the
Nature-Society Interface’ during July 6-August 2, 2014, for post-graduate
students from Nordic countries – Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and
Iceland.

This year, 10 students
participated in the course, which ISEC has been organizing since 2006. They
were introduced to issues related to environment, environment-nature-economy
interface, human well-being, sustainable development, natural resource
management, environmental movements, environmental law, urban environment
and cultural perspective of environmental conservation etc. Field trips were
organized to Biligiriranga Hills in the Western Ghats, Jadigenahalli Grama
Panchayat and Ward 128 of Bangalore city for practical field experience and
exposure to various environmental concerns.

Centre for Economic Studies
and Policy (CESP) organized a two-day training programme on May 23-24, 2014
for the IAS Probationers of the Karnataka Cadre. The theme of the training
programme was, 'Karnataka: Society, Economy and Polity'.

This programme was sponsored
by the Department of Personnel Administration and Reforms (DP & AR),
Government of Karnataka, and was coordinated by Dr K Gayithri of CESP.

Certificate Course in Methods and Applications in Social Science Research

The Certificate Course in
Methods and Applications in Social Science Research (CCMASSR) is an
inter-disciplinary social science research approach, being offered by ISEC.
This course is partially supported by the SRTT fund of ISEC for capacity
building and the remaining financial requirement is met by charging a
nominal fee to the participants. This year, 22 participants took part in the
course conducted during May 12- 23, 2014, at ISEC campus.

Professor Binay Kumar Pattnaik,
Director, ISEC, inaugurated the training programme. Prof Pattnaik also
delivered the valedictory address and distributed certificates to the
participants. The training course was coordinated by Dr Sobin George with
support from Mr Khalil Musa Shah.

Training Programme for SC/ST Members of Zilla Panchayats in Karnataka

Two rounds of two-day training
programme were organized at ISEC for SC/ST members of Zilla Panchayats of
Karnataka on February 19-20 and 25-26, 2014. In these programmes, training
was provided on advantages of decentralization, leadership qualities,
governance, roles and responsibilities, management of finances, planning and
implementation of programmes/schemes.

These training programmes were
coordinated by Prof D Rajasekhar and Dr M Devendra Babu of the Centre for
Decentralisation and Development.

Course for Faculty: 'Contemporary Themes in Theory and Practice in Social
Sciences'

A two - week long course on
'Contemporary Themes in Theory and Practice in the Social Sciences' was
organised by the Centre for Human Resource Development for young social
science faculty of colleges in Kerala. Sponsored by the Fostering Linkages
in Academic Innovation and Research (FLAIR) initiative of the Government of
Kerala, 18 faculty members (4 women and 14 men) attended the course held
during February 3-14, 2014.

The objective of the course
was to introduce the faculty to new themes of theory and research from
multidisciplinary perspectives. This course was coordinated by Prof Padma M
Sarangapani and Dr M Lingaraju, Centre for Human Resource Development, ISEC.

Social Science Talent Search Scheme (SSTS)

Social Science Talent Search
Scheme (SSTSS) has been an on-going programme of ISEC since January 2011,
undertaken in collaboration with Bangalore University and Christ University.
The programme, receiving financial support from Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT),
as part of its support to academic and scholarly initiatives at ISEC. SSTS is an initiative to address the dwindling interest among the student
community in social science subjects opted for degree courses. It encourages
talented boys and girls at Plus Two level to write a competitive exam
passing which with high marks, qualies the top 35 students (25 and 10
students belong to both Bangalore University and Christ University) to avail
scholarship for three years, i.e., during their three years' tenure as
undergraduate students in social science courses. As part of this continuing
initiative a half yearly scholarship distribution ceremony was organised at
ISEC during August 17-18, 2013, and January 11-12, 2014.. The Vice- Chancellor of Bangalore University, former
Director of ISEC Prof R S Deshpande, the Registrar of Bangalore University,
Prof C C Seethamma, Principal of Christ Junior College Rev. Fr. Dr Jose C C
and other dignitaries distributed the scholarships and addressed the
students. Members of the advisory committee, Controller of Examinations and
Co-cordinator of SSTSS, Prof H K Moulesh, Dr K G Gayathri Devi; resource
persons Prof Siddananda, Prof P H Rayappa and others were also present.
Nodal ofcers from the colleges, parents of the students, visiting
professors, faculty and members of ISEC were among those who were present on
the occasion. The programme was coordinated by Dr M Lingaraju, of the Centre
for Human Resource Development, ISEC, and co-ordinators of SSTSS.

The Centre for Economics
Studies and Policy (CESP), ISEC, organised a training programme, Advanced
Econometrics for ISS Probationary Ofcers. Totally 31 Probationary Ofcers
participated in the programme. During the rst week of the course,
participants were introduced to Basic Econometric Techniques and the second
week concentrated on Advanced Time Series Techniques. The resource persons
for the course were drawn both from within the Institute and from other
institutions like Indian Statistical Institute, Madras School of Economics
and Pondicherry University. Prof R S Deshpande welcomed the course
participants and Chairman of Board of Governors, ISEC, Professor G Thimmaiah
chaired the session and shared his vast experience on usage of data.
Professor P M Kulkarni of JNU and Shri G S N Murthy, Deputy Director-General
of National Academy of Statistical Administration (NASA), CSO, attended the
valedictory function and distributed certicates to the participants.

ISEC-NCI Course on 'Approaching the Environment in India: New Theories and
Methods in the Study of the Nature-Society Interface'

The
Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR) of ISEC in
association with the Nordic Centre in India (NCI), Sweden, organised a
four-week inter-disciplinary course on 'Approaching the Environment in
India: New Theories and Methods in the Study of the Nature-Society
Interface' during July 7-August 3, 2013, for postgraduate students from
Nordic countries. ISEC has been organizing this course since 2006 and so far
98 post-graduate students from the universities of Sweden, Finland, Denmark
and Iceland have participated in it. This is a regular postgraduate course
equivalent to 10 ECTS (European Union Credits).

Certificate Course in Methods and Applications in Social Science Research

The Certificate Course in
Methods and Applications in Social Science Research, which is an
inter-disciplinary social science research approach, was organised by ISEC
in association with Christ University, Bangalore during June 10-20, 2013 at
ISEC. Participants were from different disciplines - Political Science,
Sociology, Economics, Literature and Mass Communication - participated in
the programme.

ISEC organised two ICSSR
sponsored training Programmes in Social Science Research for PhD students
and young faculty members from social sciences. The Programmes aimed at
training the participants in both theoretical and practical aspects of
research in social sciences by combining class-room lectures by eminent
scholars from both within and outside ISEC with a number of hands-on
exercises.

The first Programme was
organised during February 7-16, 2013 the second was organised during
February 18-27, 2013 with 28 participants each from the Vulnerable sections
of society, mainly from the Scheduled Caste, drawn from different social
science subjects. The programme was inaugurated by the Director of ISEC,
Porf. R S Deshpande and Prof. G Thimmaiah, Chairman, Board of Governors,
ISEC was the Chief Guest. The Training Programmes were coordinated by Dr. M
Lingaraju and Dr. K G Gayathri Devi.

Research Methodology Course in Social Sciences

An ICSSR sponsored Research
Methodology Course in Social Sciences was held during March 11-20, 2013.
About 35 PhD students and Assistant Professors from various educational
institutions and universities from South Indian States participated in the
course.

The overall objective of the
Research Methodology Course in Social Sciences was to train the researchers
in meeting the challenges they face in an environment where society is fast
transforming and changing. Prof R S Deshpande, Director, ISEC, welcomed the
course participants. Prof. G Thimmaiah Chairman, Board of Governors, ISEC
delivered the presidential address. The Course was coordinated by Prof.
Manohar Yadav.

The Centre for Economics
Studies and Policy (CESP), ISEC, organised a training course for 38 ISS
Probationary Officers between August 13 and 24, 2012. During the first week
of the course, the participants were introduced to Basic Econometric
Techniques and the second week concentrated on Advanced Time Series
Techniques. The resource persons for the course were drawn both from within
the Institute as well as experts from other institutions like Indian
Statistical Institute, Madras School of Economics, Pondicherry University,
Mumbai University etc.

Prof R S Deshpande, Director,
ISEC, welcomed the course participants and distributed the certificates to
them during valedictory function. Feedback on both academic and
administrative aspects of the course was obtained from the participants by
circulating a structured feedback form, designed for the course.

ISEC-NCI International Post-Graduate Course on ‘Approaching the Environment
in India – Issues and Methods in the Study of the Nature-Economy-Society
Interface’

The
Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR), Institute for
Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in association with the Nordic Centre in
India (NCI), Sweden, organised a four-week interdisciplinary course on
‘Approaching the Environment in India – Issues and Methods in the Study of
the Nature- Economy-Society Interface’ for postgraduate students from Nordic
countries from June 24 to July 21, 2012. Totally 17 post-graduate students
from universities in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Finland participated in
this course. This is a regular postgraduate course equivalent to 10 or 7.5
ECTS (European Union Credits).

The students were taken to
three field visits – (1) Joint Forest Management (Village Forest Committees
/ Self-Help Groups); (2) Solid Waste Management; and (3) Rainwater
Harvesting and Green Buildings. The field visits were meant to practically
make the students aware on various aspects related to the environmental
problems and solutions in India. The course participants were assessed based
on the assignments, book reviews, their participation in classes, project
work and presentations. The resource persons for the course were drawn both
from within the Institute as well as experts from other institutions. Prof R
S Deshpande, Director, ISEC, welcomed the course participants and Shri
Kaushik Mukherjee, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary and Development
Commissioner, Government of Karnataka, delivered the inaugural address. At
the valedictory function, Prof Deshpande distributed certificates to the
course participants. Feedback on both academic and administrative aspects of
the course was obtained from the participants by circulating a structured
feedback form, designed for the course. Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha, Head, CEENR,
ISEC, coordinated the course.

Certificate Course in Methods and Applications in Social Science Research

In continuation of its
on-going CCMASSR Programme, launched in 2010, the Institute organised the
fourth residential course in Methods and Applications in Social Science
Research as a two weeks’ programme during May 14-25, 2012. There were 9
participants drawn from different parts of India from NGOs, the corporate
sector, universities and IT companies. In all, 25 sessions covering
different aspects of research in Social Sciences were held which were
participatory in nature with resource persons drawn from both within the
institute as well as from outside. The teaching sessions were interspersed
by ‘hands-on exercises’ about preparing data gathering sheets, check lists
and data analysis. At the end of the course the participants received
Certificates from Prof R S Deshpande, Director, ISEC. Dr K G Gayathridevi,
Associate Professor, CEENR, and Dr M Lingaraju, Assistant Professor, CHRD,
co-ordinated the course.

Orientation to IAS/IPS Probationers

The Institute offered an
orientation programme to the 2010 batch of IAS & IPS officers of Karnataka
during May 14-18, 2012 as part of their probationary training. It was
organized upon the request of the DPAR, Government of Karnataka. The focus
of orientation was to provide an understanding of the society, economy and
polity in Karnataka. The orientation was inaugurated by Dr S M Jaamdar, IAS,
Principal Secretary, Home Department, Government of Karnataka. A team of
resource persons drawn from within ISEC and outside addressed the
interactive sessions covering topics on political and administrative
reforms, critical areas such as agriculture, education, social
infrastructure, planning, programme monitoring and evaluation, globalization
and trade, finance, credit policy and legal reforms. Many of the trainees
stayed on the ISEC campus, which facilitated use of library and interaction
with faculty and PhD students. The valedictory session was chaired by Prof R
S Deshpande, Director, ISEC, who addressed the officers and distributed
participation certificates. The orientation was coordinated by Dr K G
Gayathri Devi, Associate Professor, CEENR, ISEC and Dr M Lingaraju,
Assistant Professor, CHRD, ISEC.

Social Science Talent Search Scheme (SSTSS)

In
continuation of the Institute’s Social Science Talent Scheme, 25 successful
students of the 2011- 12 batch were provided an orientation at ISEC for two
days on August 6-7, 2011. Several distinguished persons from academics,
media and senior officials of the Government of Karnataka addressed the
students about the importance of social science education for purposes of
knowledge-building, career and policymaking. The orientation was carried out
under the guidance of Professor R S Deshpande, Director, ISEC. Dr K G
Gayathri Devi and Dr M Lingaraju coordinated the programme.

Approaching the Environment in India – Issues and Methods in the Study of
the Nature-Economy-Society Interface

The
Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR), Institute for
Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in association with the Nordic Centre in
India (NCI), Sweden, organised a four-week inter-disciplinary course on
Approaching the Environment in India – Issues and Methods in the Study of
the Nature-Economy- Society Interface for post-graduate students from Nordic
countries. Totally 19 students from universities in Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
and Finland participated in the course which is equivalent to 10 or 7.5 ECTS
(European Union Credits).

The
course participants were assessed based on the assignments, book reviews,
their participation in classes and seminar presentations. The resource
persons for the course were drawn both from within the Institute as well as
from outside. Prof R S Deshpande, Director, ISEC, welcomed the course
participants and Prof G K Karanth, Professor, Centre for Study of Social
Change and Development, ISEC, addressed the participants on ‘Environmental
Issues in India’. At the valedictory function, Prof G K Karanth, Director
In-Charge, ISEC, and Prof K N Ninan, Head, CEENR, ISEC, distributed the
certificates to the course participants. Representative from NCI, India, Mrs
Christabel Royan, was present at the valedictory function. Feedback on both
academic and administrative aspects of the course was obtained from the
participants by circulating a structured feedback form, designed for the
course. Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha, Associate Professor, CEENR, ISEC, coordinated
the course.

Non-Residential Course on ‘Administrative, Managerial and Engineering
Training for Engineers from BWSSB’

The
Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR), Institute for
Social and Economic Change (ISEC), in association with the Bangalore Water
Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bangalore, organised a one-week training
course on Administrative, Managerial and Engineering Training for Engineers
from BWSSB to the newly recruited Assistant Engineers from BWSSB. Totally 25
engineers participated in the course. The resource persons for the course
were drawn both from within the Institute and outside. A day’s field visit
was arranged to the project area, where issues related to systematic
approach to project management were addressed. After the field visit, the
participants made presentations in groups covering project design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Prof R S Deshpande, Director,
ISEC, welcomed the course participants. Sri A R Panduranga, KAS, Chief
Administrative Officer-cum-Secretary, BWSSB, was the chief guest. At the
valedictory function, Sri Narayana, Chief Engineer, Cauvery, BWSSB,
delivered the valedictory address. The Director distributed the certificates
to the course participants. Feedback on both academic and administrative
aspects of the course was obtained from the participants by circulating a
structured feedback form, designed for the course. Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha,
Associate Professor, CEENR, ISEC, coordinated the course.

Refresher Training Programme on Econometrics for ISS Officers

The
Centre for Economics Studies and Policy (CESP), ISEC, organised an
econometrics training programme for ISS officers. Totally, 16 officers
participated in the training programme. During the first week of the course,
participants were introduced to Basic Econometric Techniques while the
second week focused on Advanced Time Series Techniques.

The resource persons for the
course were drawn both from within the Institute and from other institutions
like Indian Statistical Institute, Madras School of Economics, Pondicherry
University etc. Prof R S Deshpande, Director, ISEC, welcomed the course
participants and distributed certificates to the participants in the
valedictory session. Feedback on both academic and administrative aspects of
the course were obtained from the participants by circulating a structured
feedback form, designed for the course. The course was well appreciated by
the participants.

The programme was coordinated
by Ms. B P Vani and Prof. S Madeshwaran from CESP.

Certificate Course in Methods & Applications in Social Science Research

In
continuation of its on-going CCMASSR Programme launched in 2010, the
Institute organised the third residential course in Methods an d
Applications in Social Science Research during November 14-25, 2011. The
participants hailing from different parts of India comprised social science
degree holders (two of them with doctoral degrees and working as associate
professors in university colleges, one a bio-technology expert and one a
mechanical engineer from Infosys, Bangalore). They sought to keep abreast of
the recent developments in social science research methodology. In all, the
twoweek course consisted of 25 sessions; each lecture was followed by an
interesting discussion. The sessions were interspersed with ‘hands-on
exercises’ on preparing data gathering sheets, check-lists and data
analysis. The course ended with a valedictory session at which ISEC Director
Prof R S Deshpande distributed certificates to the participants.

Training of the Trainers – Building Knowledge Base on Ageing in India: A
Series of Programmatic and Research Studies

The Training of the Trainers
of the research project “Building Knowledge Base on Ageing in India: A
Series of Programmatic and Research Studies” was held during April 1-6, 2011
at ISEC. This ToT was a collaborative endeavour of Population Research
Centre, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, Population Research Centre,
ISEC, Bangalore and UNFPA, New Delhi. Around 20 participants attended the
training. The purpose of the training was to provide in-depth understanding
of the ageing related concepts, the details of field survey and the basis of
gathering information from the respondents. The questionnaire and the manual
prepared for the survey was discussed in detail with the participants, who
in turn will be organising similar trainings in their respective states to
the investigators so as to ensure quality data collection on various aspects
of ageing in India.

Research Training Workshop on Health Inequalities: Measures and Models

A training workshop on ‘Health
Inequalities: Measures and Models’ was held during January 8-10, 2011 at
ISEC, Bangalore. Nineteen participants from different parts of India
attended the workshop. The selection of the candidates was based on an
advertisement and around 80 applications were received of which 19
candidates were selected. In addition, 8 candidates from ISEC also attended
the workshop.

The workshop was inaugurated
by Prof R S Deshpande, Director, ISEC. It had eight technical sessions which
were all held in the morning hours. The afternoons were spent in practical
sessions, where the participants were divided into six groups, assigned with
different data sets to work on PCs given individually and later to present
their findings. The training covered topics from basic measures of
inequality to very advanced techniques like multi-level modeling.

The Population Research
Centre, ISEC in collaboration with IIASA, Austria and TIFAC, New Delhi
conducted Training Workshop on “Demographic Computations: Multistate
Population Projection” during November 9-13, 2010 at ISEC, Bangalore. The
purpose of the training was to strengthen the basic analytic skills and help
gain knowledge of multistate demography and Excel tools for demographic
analysis. The five-day training included lectures, practical sessions and
assignments.

20 candidates were selected
for the training among the 50 applicants and 3 candidates from Bhutan were
sponsored by UNFPA. The participants included Ph.D students and researchers
below Associate Professor level from different parts of India. Dr K C Samir
from World Population Program at IIASA, Dr Anne Goujon, also from World
Population Program at IIASA, and Dr K S James, ISEC, were the resource
persons for the workshop.

The Ministry of Rural
Development (MoRD), Government of India, has taken a set of initiatives to
pretest the household and village schedules under Pilot BPL Census Survey in
the selected districts of various states. The MoRD has adopted a different
approach, methodology and implementation mechanism with regard to poverty
estimation in the country. In Karnataka, 14 villages (one in each of the 14
districts) have been identified for undertaking the survey of households and
villages. The Institute for Social and Economic Change, being the Technical
Support Institution for Government of Karnataka, has been entrusted with the
task of providing inputs, capacity building, overseeing the survey and
computerisation of the data.

As part of the above, ISEC
organised two capacity-building programmes for the district coordinators and
enumerators. The first programme was held during September 2-3, 2010 and the
second during September 8-9, 2010. The main focus of the training programme
was to make the participants acquaint themselves with the poverty scenario
in India in general and understanding of various blocks of the household and
village schedules for filling them, in particular.

Training of District
Coordinators and Enumerators: The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD),
Government of India, initiated a set of initiatives to pretest the household
and village schedules under Pilot BPL Census Survey in the selected
districts of various states. The MoRD has adopted a different approach,
methodology and implementation mechanism with regard to poverty estimation
in the country. In Karnataka 14 villages one in each of the 14 districts
have been identified for undertaking the survey of households and villages.
Institute for Social and Economic Change being the Technical Support
Institution for Government of Karnataka have been entrusted with the tasks
of providing inputs, capacity building, overseeing the survey and
computerization of the data. As part of the above, I S E C organized two
capacity building programmes for the district Coordinators and enumerators.
The first programme was held on 2-3 September, 2010 and the second from 8th
to 9th of September, 2010. The main focus of the training programme was to
make the participants acquaint with the poverty scenario in India in general
and understanding of various blocks of the household and village schedules
for filling them in particular.

Training Programme on ‘Capacity Building to Enhance the Competitiveness of
the Indian Agriculture and Registration of Organic Products Abroad’

Even
though India is a founder-member of WTO and has signed the agreement way
back in 1994, a majority of the people are not aware of the WTO articles.
There are many myths and notions about WTO among different stakeholders from
agriculture and allied sectors. Awareness about the WTO agreements, tariffs,
quality and other technical requirements etc is essential for the officials
from the agriculture and line departments, producers, traders and other
stakeholders to promote export of agricultural products.

Keeping this in view, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Trade
Wing, the Government of India, requested ISEC to conduct two training
programmes for capacity building on the issues related to WTO to improve
competitiveness of Indian agriculture. Both the training programmes were
coordinated by Dr M J Bhende from ADRTC. The first programme, conducted on
August 3-4, 2010, trained officials from the Department of Agriculture,
Government of Maharashtra. The second training programme was conducted on
August 26-27, 2010, for 20 Deputy Directors (Training) and 6 agriculture
officers from the Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka.

The training programme
included lectures and discussions on history / origin of WTO, WTO and
Agriculture Policy, Organic Farming and Certification, Agreement on Sanitary
and Phytosanitary Measures, Locating Export Markets and Export Procedures
for Agricultural Commodities and Products, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
and IPR issues in Agriculture and its importance in international trade.

Non-Residential Course on ‘Administrative, Managerial and Engineering
Training’ for Engineers from BWSSB

The
Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR) of ISEC
organised two nonresidential courses on ‘Administrative, Managerial and
Engineering Training’ for the newly appointed engineers from Bangalore Water
Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). The first course was during July 12-17,
2010 (coordinated by Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha) and the second was held during
August 16-21, 2010 (coordinated by Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha and Dr Sunil Nautiyal).
In all, 46 young engineers were trained on the subjects during the two
courses.

Broadly, the aim of the
training programmes was to sensitize, provide skills and give an orientation
to Project Implementing Officers from BWSSB. These capacity-building
training programmes were based on the workshop mode, comprising lecturers,
panel discussions, SWOT analysis, logical framework analysis, field visits,
presentation of case studies’ and interactive and participatory methods.
Reading material and hand-outs were provided during the course period.

The second in the series of
ISEC’s Certificate Course in ‘Methods and Applications in Social Science
Research’ (CCMASSR), was held during July 12-24, 2010. A group of
post-graduates, researchers and development practitioners from the State and
civil society organisations from different parts of the country and outside
participated in the course. Inaugurating the course, ISEC Director Prof R S
Deshpande briefly explained the details of the course.

The first week of the course
was spent on introducing the participants to theoretical aspects of
‘approaches and methods’ of social science research. The second week was
devoted to accommodating the needs of participants in terms of their ongoing
research work as well as issues and questions relating to research
methodology.

ISEC-NCI Course on ‘Approaching the Environment in India: New Theories and
Methods in the Study of the Nature-Society Interface

The Centre for Ecological
Economics and Natural Resources (CEENR) of the Institute for Social and
Economic Change, in association with the Nordic Centre in India (NCI),
Sweden, organised a four-week inter-disciplinary course on ‘Approaching the
Environment in India: New Theories and Methods in the Study of the
Nature-Society Interface’ for post-graduate students from Nordic countries
from July 4-31, 2010. Totally 10 post-graduate students from universities in
Sweden, Finland and Denmark participated in the course. This is a regular
post-graduate course equivalent to 7.5 ECTS (European Union Credits).

The first week of the course
introduced the participants to general issues relating to Indian culture and
environment, environment and economy interface, human well-being and
sustainable development. The second week of the course familiarised the
students with urban environment covering issues like water management,
ecological architecture and sustainable cities and rainwater harvesting. The
third week covered themes on biodiversity conservation and forest
management, environmental movements with Indian case studies from the
Western Ghats and the Himalayan biodiversity hotspots. The fourth week
covered themes on trade and environment, and common property regimes. The
students were taken to three field visits – (a) Green Buildings in
co-ordination with Biome Architects, (b) E-parisara – a formal recycling
plant and to informal recycling areas, and (c) comparison of a developed and
a developing village – Shivalli (Bangalore rural District). The field visits
were meant to practically make students aware of various aspects relating to
the environment (problems and solutions) in India.

Certificate Course in ‘Methods and Applications in Social Science Research’

ISEC conducted a three-week
Certificate Course entitled ‘Methods and Applications in Social Science
Research’ from February 15 to March 11, 2010. The objective of this
initiative was to disseminate its cumulative expertise in research
methodologies to wider communities, focusing on middle-level managers,
researchers, corporate sector, government officers and especially those
who have that intense urge to understand the tools of social research. The
course attempted to integrate the three dimensions of research
methodology, viz., philosophy, techniques and applications.

The course was held for three
weeks (5-day per week) with three sessions per day. Each class spanned 90
minutes (70 minutes for teaching and remaining 20 minutes for discussion).
Apart from our faculty, renowned academicians and practitioners from the
field were invited to hold the sessions. The participants were provided with
library access and tickets to borrow books, Each participant was allotted a
faculty member from the Institute based on his/her academic interest, so
that he/she can discuss in detail the research issues and expectations from
the course as well as get help in preparing a term paper. Other than the
regular classes, a field trip was organised to a grama panchayat area to get
them exposed to rural problems. During the last two days of the course, each
participant presented a paper on a topic of their choice demonstrating their
understanding of research methodology. The course concluded with a special
lecture on ‘Interrogating the Idea of Justice’, delivered by Prof M V
Nadkarni. Dr. K G Gayathridevi, faculty member, ISEC, co-ordinated the
course.

Use of
Data for Planning and Monitoring of Development Programmes, GOI-UN Joint
Programme on Convergence, Orientation for Senior Level Officers

In line
with the annual AWP signed between ISEC and UNFPA, four rounds of
orientation programmes for senior-level officers on use of data for
planning and monitoring of development programmes, the first on September
10-11, 2009 and the second on September 24-25, 2009, the third and the
fourth rounds on December 3-4 and December 10-11, 2009, were held at
ISEC. The first programme on September 10 was inaugurated by Ms Sobha
Nambisan, IAS, Principal Secretary, Planning Department, Government of
Karnataka. It was then followed by general sessions on Need for Planning
and Monitoring and Evaluation. This was followed by sectoral presentation
of data availability and its limitations and indicators necessary for
promotion and planning with duration of one and half hours for each
session. The sessions in the first programme indicated the need for
planning, monitoring and evaluation and sectoral sessions on demography,
health, income and price, poverty, education, employment and gender. The
second programme held on September 24-25, 2009, also had similar sessions
with certain changes based on the comments received on the first programme.The
sessions and other activities of the third and the fourth rounds were
modified on the basis of the suggestions received from the earlier two
rounds. During the third round held on December 3-4, 2009, the inaugural
lecture on ‘Use of Data on Planning’ was delivered by Prof Ravi Kanbur of
Cornell University, USA. The fourth round held on December 10-11, 2009,
was inaugurated by Dr N C Saxena. Dr Nesim Tumkaya, UNFPA Country
Director, delivered the Chairperson’s remarks. As in the case of the
earlier two rounds, the subjects covered in the third and the fourth
rounds included Demography and Health, Education, Gender Budgeting,
Poverty, Income and Employment. There was also a panel discussion session
on Monitoring
of Programmes. Prof K S James coordinated the programme.

Training-cum-Workshop on Research Methodology for Faculty of ATI

The
institute organised one-day training-cum-workshop for the faculty of the
Administrative Training Institute (ATI), the State Institute of Rural
Development (SIRD) and the State Institute of Urban Development (SIUD),
Mysore, at ISEC on October 3, 2009. This was upon the request of the
Director- General of the three institutions, in response to a direction from
the Staff and Administration Reforms Department, Government of India. The
objective was to build the capacities of the faculty in developing an
‘Action Research Report’ that would be useful in various training programmes
conducted by the three institutions in the course of their work. A
compendium is to be brought out by the teaching staff based on the report by
the faculty.

The course
was co-ordinated by Prof S Madheswaran, Professor at the Centre for Economic
Studies & Policy, and Dr K G Gayathri Devi, Associate Faculty at the CEENR,
ISEC.

Capacity Building to Enhance the Competitiveness of Indian Agriculture and
Registration of Organic Products Abroad

The
Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Trade
Wing, Government of India, had requested ISEC to conduct two training
programmes for capacity building on the issues related to WTO to improve
competitiveness of the Indian agriculture. Both the programmes were
coordinated by Dr M J Bhende from ADRTC. The first training programme was
conducted during September 4-5, 2009, and two field supervisors from each
centre of the Cost of Cultivation Scheme participated in it. The second
training programme was organised during September 14-15, 2009. The
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, Government of Karnataka, had
deputed 15 agriculture and 10 horticulture officers serving at the block and
hobli levels.

ISEC--NCI Course on ‘Methods and Applications in Social Science Research’

As is the
annual practice, the Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources
(CEENR) at ISEC organised a four-week course on ‘Methods and Applications
in Social Science Research’ under its auspices, for the graduate and
post-graduate students from Nordic countries from August 2 to 29, 2009.
This was organised in association with the Nordic Centre in India (NCI),
Sweden. This time, one student each from universities in Finland and
Sweden participated in the course that was equivalent to 10 ECTS credits
(European Union Credits). Dr K G Gayathridevi, Associate Faculty, CEENR,
ISEC, and Dr K Lenin Babu, Assistant Professor, CEENR, co-ordinated the
course.

Training Programme on ‘‘Econometric Methods and Applications’’ for
Senior-Level IES Officers of Government of India

Approaching the
Environment in India: New Theories and Methods in the Study of the
Nature-Society Interface

The Centre for Ecological
Economics and Natural Resources of our Institute in association with the
Nordic Centre in India (NCI), Sweden organized a four week
inter-disciplinary course on ‘Approaching the Environment in India: New
Theories and Methods in the Study of the Nature-Society Interface’ . It is
a multi-disciplinary course that seeks to introduce students to recent
theories and methods in the study of contemporary environmental issues in
India. It was organised in July - August 2007 and November - December 2008
for students from Nordic countries. This is a regular post-graduate course
equivalent to 10 ECTS (European Union Credits). Themes included - Indian
culture and environment, environment and economy interface-Human well-being,
sustainable development, natural resource management, environmental
movements, environmental law, urban environment etc. Field trips were
organized to BR Hills, Watershed, Biodiversity Conservation Park, Green
Buildings, Sewage Treatment plant and Urban Slum. Totally 23 students
from un.

Training
Programme for Elected Representatives of Bangalore Rural Zilla Panchayat

The Center for
Decentralisaion and Development organised a two-day training programme for the elected
members of the Bangalore Rural Zilla Panchayat on September 26-27, 2006. The inaugural
address was delivered by Mr. Narayanaswamy, ex-president of Bangalore Rural Zilla
Panchayat. The training programme was coordinated by Prof Abdul Aziz and Dr. K G Gayathri
Devi.

UGC-RCC-ISEC
Refresher Course in Ecological Economics

A Refresher
course in Ecological Economics for college and university teachers was organised by the
Ecological Economics Unit of ISEC during February 4-27, 2004. The course aimed at
strengthening the teaching and research capacity of the participants, particularly in
ecological economics. Prof G. Thimmaiah, Member Board of Governors ISEC, delivered the
inaugural address. Prof. Gopal K Kadekodi delivered the valedictory address and
distributed certificates to the participants. Sixteen participants from Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Orissa and Assam, attended the course. Dr. Syed Ajmal Pasha co-ordinated the course.

UGC
RCC-ISEC Refresher Course in Quantitative Techniques in Economics

The Economics
Unit of the Institute organised a UGC Refresher Course in Quantitative Techniques in the
Economics during December 1-24, 2003. The objective of the course was to orient the
college and university lecturers to recent developments in theory and applied aspects of
quantitative techniques in Economics. Dr. Vishwanath Pandit, Head Depatment of Economics,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantpur, inaugurated the course and
delivered the inaugural address. About Seventeen teachers from both universities and
colleges attended the course. Dr. S Madheswaran was the course coordinator.

Social
Upliftment Through Profitable Banking

The
Decentralisation and Development Unit organised two training programmes on "Social
Upliftment Through Profitable Banking" for Karnataka Backward Classes Development
Corporation. The first programme was held in August 2003, was attended by 35 senior
officers, while the second one was held in November 2003 was attended by 33 field-level
staff representing all the 27 Karnataka districts. These programmes aimed at enabling
experience sharing and arriving at policy suggestions for making the banking operation of
the Corporation viable. Dr. D Rajasekhar coordinated the training programme.

UGC-RCC-ISEC Refresher Course in Development Administration (Politics,
Governance and Development)

The
Development Administration Unit of the Institute conducted a UGC-RCC-ISEC Refresher Course in
Development Administration (Politics, Governance and Development) for College/University
Teachers during 6-31st October 2003. 28 persons participated in the programme.
Prof. S N Sangita and Dr N Sivanna coordinated
the course.

UGC-RCC-ISEC
Refresher Course in Economics

The Economics
unit of the Institute conducted a UGC-RCC-ISEC Refresher course in Development Economics
for the teachers of Colleges and Universities of different parts of the country during
January 9 to February 1, 2003. The objective of the course was to orient the college and
university lecturers in Economics to recent developments in theoretical and applied
aspects of development economics. There were 27 participants, Dr. K Gayithri coordinated
the course.

UGC-RCC-ISEC
Refresher Course in Sociology

The Sociology
Unit of the Institute conducted a UGC-RCC-ISEC Refresher Course in Sociology for teachers
of colleges and universities of different parts of the country during December 2-24, 2002.
19 persons participated in the programme. Prof. G K Karanth coordinated the course.

UGC-RCC-ISEC
Refresher Course in Education

The Education
unit of the Institute organised a refresher course in Education from November 7-30, 2002.
The course was meant for the faculty teaching in the University post-graduate Departments
of Education, Institute for Advanced studies in Education and the Colleges of Secondary
Teacher Education. There were 24 participants drawn from Karnataka, Punjab, Orissa, and
Goa. The Refresher Course was directed by Prof. A S Seetharamu.

Faculty
Upgradation Programme in Environmental Economics

A faculty
upgradation Programme in Environmental Economics was conducted by the Ecological Economics
Unit during September 10 - October 9, 2001. This national level programme formed part of
the World Bank aided "India: Environmental Management Capacity Building Technical
Assistance Project" of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
25 teachers/researchers from all over India attended the programme. It was coordinated by
Prof. R Maria Saleth, Dr. G.S. Sastry, Dr. M Venkata Reddy and Dr. Syed Ajmal Pasha.

Training
Programme for Zilla Panchayat Members

Two Training
programmes were conducted by the Institute at the request of the Kolar Zilla Panchayat and
the Chikmagalur Zilla Panchayat to provide inputs for their Presidents, Vice-Presidents
and Members on June 7 and 8, 2001, and on June 15 and 16, 2001, respectively. It was
coordinated by Sri. H N Ranganathan and Dr. N Sivanna

The Institute
in collaboration with POPLINE support centre, International Institute for Population
Sciences, Mumbai, conducted a training programme on POPLINE Bibliographic Reproductive
Health Database on May 23-25, 2001. Participants were officials from the State Department
of Health & Family Welfare, Population Centre, Directorate of Economics and
Statistics, and the Human Development Division of the Planning Department. It was
coordinated by Prof. KNM Raju and C.P. Prakasam of IIPS, Mumbai.

Training
of Trainers on Capacity Building for Social Development and Resettlement

A workshop was
organised at the Institute during April 23-27, 2001 for Training of Trainers on Capacity
Building for Social Development and Resettlement. Participants were from various NGOs and
academic institutions which was sponsored by the Asian Development Bank. It was
coordinated by Prof. G.K. Karanth.

Training
Programme for Field Officers and Ministerial Staff of Karnataka Forest Department, under
JBIC Project

A training
programme for field officers of the Karnataka Forest Department was organised by the
Ecological Economics unit of the Institute during February 26-March 2, 2001. Karnataka
Forest Department, Banaglore sponsored the programme, which was attended by field
officers. Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha coordinated the training programme.

Training
Programme in Environmental Economics

A training
programme was organised by the Ecological Economics unit of ISEC for the officials of
State Government/ regulatory bodies in Southern India, during January 8-13, 2001. It was
sponsored by the World Bank aided India: Environmental Management Capacity Building
Technical Assistance Project. Dr K.N Ninan and Dr. G.S. Sastry coordinated the programme.